The Commanders Shepard

Chapter 12

After having a long and information ridden conversation, it seemed Calamity Jane managed to talk Liara out of her shell and out of her hidey hole in that office space. By reminding her that she still had not had anything to eat yet, Jane coaxed Liara into going to the mess hall. When they got there, James, John, Kaiden, and Ashley were already there eating and shooting the breeze.

Liara sat next to Kaiden with her plate and across from Jane, James, and John in the mess. "Again, I have to admit, Commander. I have not had much contact with humans. That said, I am wholly unfamiliar with your food." Knowing she would have no knowledge of what to pick, Jane had selected a meal for Liara.

"No worries, doctor", James said. "Human and Asari biochemistry both have the same fundamental amino acid build. It's a hundred percent safe for you to eat human food."

Jane had already had a substantial portion to eat before going to check on Liara, but she had no qualms with eating again. Her powers ran on calories. She felt like the tank was running on empty before because their mission burned off a whole lot of them. First she ate to feed her powers, now she was eating to feed herself. As she pulled her plate closer, she said, "Asari instructors helped train my biotics when I first joined the Alliance. A few of them, including a former Huntress that was in her matriarch years, actually preferred human food. I always just assumed it may have been because it was a nice change of pace, particularly the matriarch, after having lived so long."

Calamity could see that her words were calming Liara a bit. She could tell how nervous the "young" Asari was about trying something new. Liara pulled her plate toward herself and said, "Well, growing up, Benezia did used to frequently tell me that everything new in life is a learning experience." She punctuated her statement by taking in a big fork full. The rest of the group could all the see the relief wash over her face as she chewed. "By the goddess. This has to be the best fathree I have had in ages! I would never have imagined that a human ship would even carry something like this." Liara began to excitedly shovel the rest of her food down.

John, who himself admitted to not knowing anything about the Asari, quirked up an eyebrow. "Fathree?" he asked in an inquisitive tone.

Ever the smarty pants, James chimed in. "A small domesticated creature from the Asari's home planet of Thessia, bred in droves for their meat and eggs."

John had a bit of a light bulb moment. "Oh. So basically, Thessian chickens then?"

"Actually John," Jane said through a mouthful of her own food. "I gave her the same chicken pesto I'm having. I've been to Thessia and I've had fathree. And yeah, it tastes ~EXACTLY~ like chicken. I figured I'd do something to help ease the situation for her. What better way than with something that mimics a taste of home?"

Liara was shocked. The revelation that two animals from two planets multiple star systems apart would not only serve the same purpose in their worlds' respective societies, but also taste exactly the same was a coincidence more powerful than the pull of a black hole. The scientific intrigue of it was tremendous. However, more so than that shock, Liara was moved. That Calamity had seen fit to take that action for the sake of her comfort made her feel all the more welcome. She didn't really understand it herself in that moment, but Liara felt something unusual. Something she had never felt before. She didn't realize it at first, but she was beginning to develop a crush on Jane.

As she sat there enjoying her food, Liara couldn't help but wonder just exactly what Calamity thought about her. Though at the same time, and even without fully understanding her own feelings in the matter, the moment Liara realized she had a crush, she could sense the cliche' written all over her situation. The damsel in distress falling for her savior. There were a million and one stories just like that all over Asari literature and pop culture. She imagined it was the same for human culture as well. Still, she could not deny that the spark was there, at least on her end. Then, her thoughts brought her back to just a few moments prior when she had made a fool of herself with the topic of studying Jane. It was enough to illicit a brief occurrence of warm dark purple blush in her bright blue cheeks.

In an attempt to get her mind off that subject, Liara turned toward James. "By the way, Commander," she began, looking directly at him.

James was partially preoccupied with shot trajectory readouts on his datapad whilst eating at the same time. He looked up when he felt her eyes on him, then he looked to his sides to make sure she was referring to him and not one of his siblings. "Please, doctor," he said. "When more than one of us are present, address us by our call sign or first name. We are all ranked Commanders."

"You make a valid point," Liara conceded. "Well then. James, you seem very knowledgeable. Not a great many people could rattle off such an obscure random fact about Thessia like that."

James pushed up his glasses as he allowed himself a tiny moment of pride for her compliment. As he basked in it, John jumped in with, "He's our walking encyclopedia. If he doesn't have the answer, he knows where and how to find it."

"Indeed," Liara said. She had just finished the last of her chicken pesto and wanted to attempt conversation to pass the time and get to know her hosts better. "The three of you each seem to have a set of skills that plays very well off of each of the others. All of you together must make for a valuable team."

Again, with a face full of chow, Jane said, "Yep. Brain power, telekinesis, and brute force. Its basically been like that for the majority of our lives."

After John wiped away a tiny bit of pesto that was sent careening into his face as Jane spoke with her mouth full, he added, "The only time we've ever really been apart from each was the first couple of years we were in the military. Hell, I kind of hope we can stay like this. I feel better having them within arm's reach."

James put down his spoon and datapad and with a smile said, "Johnny, we could be here on the Normandy with you on Arcturus Station, and we'd still be within your arms' reach."

While not very well versed in humor, Liara could certainly recognize that as a playful barb from one sibling to another. "James has the right of it," she said. "I mean no ill when I say this, but you are the single most massive person I have ever met."

Playing off her comment, John stood, turned his back, and flexed. While looking over his shoulder and past the bulge of his enormous bicep, John asked in a playful tone, "What's the matter, Liara? Am I too much soldier for you to take in?"

The entire table had a bit of giggle at has silly display. Ashley, who was seated at the end of the table on Liara's side, took in the sight of the mountain that was John and thought to herself, Mmmmm... Thicc boy. She couldn't help but notice how the Alliance's blue shipboard fatigues did so well at showing off his definition. Never before had she had such a strong appreciation for standard issue. If I can I ever get me a piece of that, the uniform stays on.

After eating, resting up, and a bit more team building banter, the entire Disasters Squad met back up in the conference room to lay out their next moves.

"Alright, folks," John began in his field commander voice. "Our next destination is Noveria. We're likely to run into the single most dangerous, and also annoying, enemy any of us have ever, and likely will ever face; Corporate bullshit!" John hammed it up by saying the end of statement in a purposely overly dramatic way, eliciting a few chuckles from the squad. "Be advised, their most vicious form of attack is the stifling 'bureaucratic red tape', which is known and feared the galaxy over for being powerful enough to hold down entire fleets of dreadnought class star ships." More giggles ensued. "Okay people, cheesy theatrical antics aside, we are heading to a world literally run by corporations. Calamity's intel feed tells us that both Saren and Matriarch Benezia are investors in genetics firm Binary Helix. Not only does Binary Helix have a presence on Noveria, but we've also received updated planetside intel stating that Benezia and her acolytes have recently arrived at the BH lab facilities there."

Jane looked toward their Asari companion and said, "Liara, we are hoping you'll join us on the ground team. If we do end up coming face to face with the matriarch, you could be integral to gaining insight into her actions. Can we count on you to be there?"

Liara began to fidget nervously. She knew it was the reason for her joining the Disasters, but she was still apprehensive coming face to face with her mother. "It has been a great many years since last I saw Benezia, but I will do what I must." She felt the gravity of their cause and knew why the squad was counting on her.

"One other thing," James said. "Its winter in Hanshan, the capital of Noveria and site of the labs. Noveria's winters are incredibly harsh and exceedingly cold." He turned to Tali and put a hand on her shoulder before continuing. "Everyone be sure to crank up your thermal settings." Tali could almost tangibly feel his concern through his hand.

"Absolutely," John said. "Weather reports also say there is currently a massive blizzard blanketing the continent Port Hanshan sits on."

"Looks like we're in for one crazy ride," Jane said with a roll of her eyes and obvious worry in her tone. "How did we go from jumping out of a hellish inferno to diving into a blizzard?"

Joker came in over the ship's PA. "Approaching the relay. ETA to Noveria, 20 mike."

"You heard the man," John said. "Down to the hanger bay. Triple check your gear and suit up! Dismissed."